Training and education on evidence-based practices for system stakeholders, including numerous trainings targeted toward correctional staff.

Performance measurement support to help document and measure the success of different policies, and their effect on reducing recidivism.

Examples of our work in this area include:

Policy Reform

We partner with Pew’s Public Safety Performance Project (PSPP) to help states advance fiscally sound, data-driven policies and practices in juvenile justice that protect public safety, hold youth accountable, and control corrections costs. Our team has had a significant role in the adoption of comprehensive reforms in juvenile justice systems in numerous states, including South Dakota, Hawaii, Kentucky, Georgia, West Virginia, Kansas, and Utah.

Implementation

We also serve as the primary technical assistance provider for the Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s (OJJDP) Juvenile Justice System Improvement initiative. The initiative is an extension of the success of the 2014 initiative Smart on Juvenile Justice: A Comprehensive Strategy to Juvenile Justice Reform that assisted states with implementation of comprehensive juvenile justice reform legislation. The Juvenile Justice System Improvement initiative expands the scope of work by providing training and technical assistance to states implementing system-wide juvenile justice system improvement through enacted legislation or strategic planning.

We work in partnership with OJJDP and state-level stakeholders spanning the system from the point of arrest through disposition and aftercare to support the development and implementation of reforms. The Juvenile Justice System Improvement initiative serves not only to increase the states’ capacity to introduce and integrate legislative reforms and strategic planning, but highlights the commitment toward a sustainable approach that will ensure the success of youth.

Recent Publications

*Population data from FY2014-FY 2017 (year of reform to three years after) **Cost per youth based on grant amount allocated and number of youth served (note that some youth were served in multiple programs) Download the infographic Read more about juvenile justice improvements in Georgia

The population of Kentucky youth housed in juvenile detention centers and other out-of-home placements has fallen 40 percent in two years, outpacing predictions following the passage of Senate Bill 200 (SB 200), a sweeping juvenile justice improvement bill.

Hawaii enacted juvenile justice reform legislation in 2014. In the two years since then, the state has seen a 62 percent reduction in the number of youth sent to the Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility. With fewer youth coming into the system, that leaves more time and resources to dedicate to rehabilitation.

Georgia enacted comprehensive juvenile justice reform legislation in 2012 aimed at reducing out-of-home placements for youth in the justice system, protecting public safety, and improving outcomes for youth. Since then the state has seen a 36 percent reduction in youth in secure confinement, an 11 percent reduction in youth detention, and a 46 percent reduction in commitments to the Department of Juvenile Justice. The state has invested $37 million since fiscal year 2014 in a grant program to work with providers of evidence-based community programs for youth.

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Since 2014, six states have participated in the federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s (OJJDP) Smart on Juvenile Justice: A Comprehensive Strategy to Juvenile Justice Reform Initiative to reduce out-of-home placement for juveniles, increase community-based treatment, and improving outcomes for youth.